Serum Procalcitonin Levels in Newly Diagnosed Hodgkin Lymphoma: Correlation with Other Inflammatory Biomarkers.

Background and Objectives: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a useful biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis. Inflammatory markers are elevated in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and yet ongoing infection rarely coexists at diagnosis. PCT levels might be helpful in differentiating bacterial from disease-related inflammation. Materials and Methods: We evaluated serum PCT levels and other inflammation markers in newly diagnosed HL patients. Values < 0.50 ng/mL were considered normal (0.10−0.50 ng/mL: detectable, <0.10 ng/mL: undetectable), while values ≥ 0.50 ng/L were considered elevated. Results: Among 137 patients, 55 had B symptoms (40%), 77/130 (59%) had elevated Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and 116 (85%) had elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP) (median 38.1 mg/L (range; 2.97−328)). PCT levels were normal in most patients (undetectable 94/137 (68.5%) and detectable 41/137(30%)) with median value < 0.10 ng/mL (range; <0.10−15.90). Elevated PCT was recorded in only two patients (1.5%). Patients with PCT < 0.10 ng/mL had significantly lower median CRP (25.75; range (2.97−203.0)) compared to patients with PCT ≥ 0.1 ng/mL (median CRP 92.50 mg/L; range (3.34−328.0)). Almost all patients (40/41, 97.6%) with detectable PCT had elevated CRP. Conclusions: This is the first study showing that the inflammation characterizing HL is not associated with PCT elevations, although CRP levels are elevated in 85% of the patients. Normal PCT levels may rule out the possibility of occult infection, thus preventing extensive evaluation, which may delay treatment initiation.

Combination of rituximab with chlorambucil as first line treatment in patients with mantle cell lymphoma: a highly effective regimen.

The optimal treatment approach for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is not well defined. Intensive therapeutic regimens result in high response rates and prolonged progression-free survival but at the expense of significant toxicity. We report here our results of the administration of rituximab plus chlorambucil (R-Chl) as first line treatment in patients with MCL. Twenty consecutively diagnosed patients were treated with this combination in which an induction and a maintenance arm were included. During induction, rituximab was administered at a dose of 375 mg/m(2) on day 1, while chlorambucil was given afterward at a dose of 10 mg/day for 10 consecutive days for eight cycles and then as a single agent for an additional four cycles. Maintenance consisted of rituximab administration every 2 months for 1 year. Most patients had indolent disease features such as a low mantle-cell international prognostic index (MIPI) score. The overall response rate was 95% (90% CR, 5% PR). Among patients in CR, 78% presented a molecular remission. The 3-year progression-free survival was 89%. There were no serious side effects. These results show that the R-Chl combination could be an effective therapeutic option as first line treatment in MCL, especially for patients with indolent disease characteristics.